Canon G5 X User Experience

There must be something very rotten in the state of Denmark when Alpha Whiskey starts talking about gear. Have I completely lost my mind?! Did I give in to the Dark Side of The Force? What’s the matter with me? Joking aside, this isn’t as comprehensive a look at a camera as one of Nasim’s reviews. I’ve always had a tremendous appreciation for the Herculean effort he puts into his reviews; now that I’ve written this brief article about a camera myself that appreciation is infinite. And while our gear is secondary to our creativity, of course the latter benefits from the former; it’s just not something I usually spend my time worrying about.

So this isn’t going to be that kind of review, or even a review for that matter, but rather a user experience with a relatively new compact camera. I’m afraid I’m not going to pixel peep into the corners for you. I’m interested in photography more than technology so my account is based on what this camera offers, feels like to use in practice, and whether I would recommend it to anyone looking for a compact camera. I will also explain my criteria for choosing this model lest that should be helpful to anyone. These criteria and experience could surely be referenced in lieu of any compact camera model. Many of you use compact cameras for your sole photographic use or as a back up and I’m sure you get some stunning results with them.

The Canon G5x next to my Olympus E-M5.

Now, I actually didn’t buy this camera for myself. I bought it for my sister who has travelled all over the planet and has never been particularly fussed about the snapshots she takes. She’s doesn’t have an interest in photography per se but she has a decent eye. Her previous camera (a Canon Ixus something or other) was about a gazillion years old and she asked me to find a newer model. So little brother knuckled down to do some research and settled on the Canon G5 X.

I was recently invited to the country of Bangladesh and not being shy of accepting intriguing invitations I flew out there, taking this Canon G5 X with me to test drive. I carried it inside the EveCase Digital Camera Pouch that I had also bought for it. I left all my other camera gear behind.

Despite its political and socio-economic challenges, I found Bangladesh to be a beautiful country with extremely cordial, hospitable and generous people. I actually didn’t get much time for photography but as there was an abundance of vivid colour, delicious food and boisterous crowds there was no shortage of potential opportunities.

ISO 125, F/4, 1/125s.

The decision to buy the Canon G5 X for sis was based on her criteria, so my bias in choosing a camera had to take that into account. Like many people she absolutely did not want the bulk and ‘hassle’ of an interchangeable lens camera, having been used to a tiny compact for so long. Not being a hobbyist photographer she wanted something that was very easy to use and gave great images straight out of the camera. She wanted something with a wider lens but tremendous zoom wasn’t too important to her. She wanted something that could take useable images in low light since she likes photographing her food in various eateries around the globe (a habit I also contracted from her).

ISO 640, F/4, 1/125

The Canon G5 X meets a lot of these criteria. It has a 20.1MP 1-inch sensor behind a fast lens (24-100mm F/1.8-2.8) with a fully articulated vari-angle touchscreen for focusing. From my own experience using a touchscreen on my Olympus I found this to be a very useful feature for focusing and shooting, especially in conjunction with a tilting/articulated screen, so I was happy to find it on the Canon. Simply touching the screen where you want the focus to be will activate the shutter release when shooting in awkward positions or above a crowd. The camera has lens-based image stabilisation and the now typical WiFi and NFC functionality.

ISO 125, F/4, 1/400.

Noise performance was reasonable for sensor this size, even up to ISO 6400 in good light. In practice I tried to stick to speeds of ISO 1600 or less most of the time.

Can of beans shot! The gearhead’s favourite. Noisy but the letters are legible at ISO 6400.ISO 4000, f/1.8, 1/100s

One of the reasons I chose my Olympus E-M5 model over the smaller PEN versions was the built in electronic viewfinder (EVF), which can be invaluable for shooting in bright sunlight or in low light. I wanted my sister to have that benefit (in fact, even her old Ixus compact had a tiny optical viewfinder built into its body). The Canon G5 X’s EVF adds bulk to the top of the camera but we felt this was a small trade-off. The EVF has good resolution (2.36m dots) and an eye sensor that activates the EVF and switches off the LCD when you place your eye to it. The sensor is perhaps a little too sensitive, shutting off the LCD if anything gets remotely near it.

ISO 125, F/4, 1/125s

The Canon’s maximum shutter speed tops out at a meagre 1/2000sec but it does have built in 3-stop ND filters, which fortunately (for someone like sis who wants a easier time of it) are activated to function automatically by default. It has a reasonable JPEG burst rate (5.9fps) but is painfully slow shooting RAW images, around 1 per second, if that. Not being one to see the glass as half empty, this didn’t bother me too much as neither my sister nor I would use this camera for burst or action shooting, and we otherwise tend to take one shot at a time rather than spray and pray. If a camera forces me to stop and think before making each shot then so much the better.

ISO 125, F/4, 1/125.

While not having the dynamic range of larger sensors the RAW images from this camera have more latitude for selective noise reduction and highlight and shadow recovery than the JPEGs. I personally always shoot RAW for that reason. All the images presented here were converted from the camera’s RAW files using Adobe’s DNG Converter. When I asked my sister if she would prefer to shoot RAW her response was that she was unlikely to shoot something after she was cooked. Er, yeah, ok, so she’ll probably stick to JPEGs.

ISO 125, F/3.2, 1/00s

The metering was pretty consistent and the exposure compensation dial is conveniently located on the top of the camera. The AF was usually pretty fast but had trouble locking onto a subject on occasion. The autofocus is a contrast-detect system and thus has a limited ability tracking moving objects. Another slight frustration was that it took at least a second or two to activate from a sleep mode, by which time the opportunity was gone. I am used to the faster start-up times from my mirrorless camera and DSLR.

ISO 125, F/4, 1/200

Furthermore, its macro capability is limited to the widest end of its zoom range and closest focusing distance is only 5cm (the distance is much greater at the telephoto end of the zoom). Obviously, there are compact cameras with better macro capabilities that can focus as close as 0 cm so bear that in mind if you do a lot of close-up photography.

They were expecting me! ISO 200, F/2.8, 1/100

The image stabiliser was particularly effective, allowing me to take hand-held shots at shutter speeds of 1/8 second.

ISO 800, F/4, 1/8s

Having read (and then discovered) that the battery life was not great I ordered a second battery at the same time as purchasing the camera. I think most compact camera batteries have this issue; the battery is simply too small to hold a lengthy charge. Fortunately, the camera can be charged by USB and I took an Anker Powercore charger with me on my trip.

ISO 125, F/4, 1/250s

Another choice I considered buying for my sister was the Sony RX 100 IV. It’s a brilliantly engineered device with many attractive features in a smaller package, including a high-resolution pop-up viewfinder (although not as large or as bright as the Canon’s). Image quality from the Sony (using a similar if not the same sensor) was comparable to the Canon to my eyes. The Sony has a much faster maximum shutter speed (1/32,000!), also has built in ND filters and has better video recording specs (my sister isn’t fussed about video). It has a better burst rate and deeper buffer, especially when writing RAW files, and is better at tracking moving subjects. It is more expensive than the Canon but money is no object when buying for my sister. However, the Sony has a no touchscreen, a shorter zoom range and an apparently more complicated menu system and user interface to navigate. Now my sister is immeasurably more intelligent than I but I reckon even she would find this frustrating. We both like simplicity in our gadgets. User interfaces need to be simple even for seasoned photographers, where the time taken to change something could mean the difference between making and losing the shot.

ISO 125, F/2.8, 1/2000s

Canon also released the G9 X at the same time, which is a much smaller and lighter camera, akin in size to the Sony RX100 series. But the lens on G9 X is not as wide (starting at 28mm), it has a fixed screen and lacks a viewfinder.

ISO 125, F/4, 1/400s

Last year’s G7 X was also a smaller model with many of the same features as the G5X but it also lacks a viewfinder. In contrast to the G7 X, G9 X and Sony RX series the G5 X has a grip on its right side. However, I found the natural resting position for my thumb was atop video record button on the back of the camera and a few times I inadvertently activated it. The G5X has a control ring around the lens, which gives a nice clicky tactile response when adjusting aperture or shutter speed, but like myself taking these images I imagine my sister will stick with Program Mode to start off with.

ISO 125, F/4, 1/125s

Well, hopefully the images demonstrate that the Canon G5X makes a worthy travel camera. Of course the images won’t match the technical quality of larger sensor cameras at the pixel level and you’re not going to shoot sports or action with it. But for a travel camera I found it to be fit for purpose; it’s light, easy to use and captures images of good quality. I think my sister will approve.

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About Alpha Whiskey

Alpha Whiskey has pursued his enjoyment of photography both at home in the UK and overseas, capturing scenic views from Alaska to Bulgaria, from Iceland to California. He has pointed his camera and trained his eye at almost every subject, from wildlife to architecture, from portraits to landscapes, from the Red Bull X-Fighters to the Northern Lights. His photographs have been published on the covers of national publications and within media for the National Trust. His blog is a growing library of images from his travels, excursions, and his photowalks with friends, and he hopes that by sharing them he can encourage others to worry less about gear and simply go out and shoot.

Reader Interactions

Comments

Greg, it is his online pseudonym / nickname. His real name is Sharif – he often signs off with that name in posts. I myself used to post under a nickname “MegaZ” for many years (in fact, my author profile still reads “MegaZ” in the url). It was just a habit from the old IRC (Internet Relay Chat) and forum days. With the introduction of Facebook, everyone started signing in with their real names, but in the past, the Internet was completely different :)

Thanks for the article. It is great reading articles on compact cameras. I use a canon powershot G16. I get some lovely photographs. For me it is the fact that I can put it in a coat pocket etc. Like any camera it is important to know its limits. That way I don’t waste my time taking pictures that won’t work. Say a sparrow in a tree from 20 meters.

Great photos of your time in Bangladesh. I have not had the opportunity to go there but have been fortunate enough to travel to India and to spend quite some time there. I agree that the opportunity for photos containing color and interesting life are all around you in that part of the world. It is as if someone selected vivid in your brains picture control. So much life happening everywhere around you. The hardest part is where to piont your camera first. We loved our time in India and we’re treated as honored guests by most people we met. Your pictures take me back to that part of our world. Again thanks for your insight on the Canon and again the great photos.

I’m curious as to why you chose to G5X over the Panasonic LX-100? I’m a Fuji X-T10 shooter, but the LX-100 is my carry with me everywhere camera. I feel the LX’s lens is far superior to the Canon lens and is a better match for the M43 sensor. The G7X is notoriously softer (the G5X is basically that same camera but with an EVF). Just curious…

Teddy, the LX100 was on the list but it had a fixed screen and no touch operation, both of which I felt might limit my sister. Also, the LX100 is targeted towards more enthusiast shooters and my sister is coming from a point and shoot; I wanted to get her something that she could use easily and have the option to grow into if she wanted. The Canon also offered slightly more reach from its focal length without losing aperture and more resolution, albeit on a smaller sensor. I found the lens on the G5X perfectly sharp for my use.

I’ve had both (well, the Leica 109 version anyhow) and frankly I prefer the Canon! I’m a Panafan and have a lot of M43 gear and shoot Nikon for work but there is something about this little Canon that did it for me. The only other camera that came close (in fact I’d prefer it if it had a touchscreen and the larger sensor) was the Fuji X30. The 109 or LX100 zoom I felt was always too slow (I’d love a manual zoom like the Fuji) and the fixed screen I found a bit too limiting in terms of how I shot (particularly macro work). The EVF on this Canon is as good as the Fuji, both a step up or two up from the LX100 and for me at least no built-in EVF means no purchase.

Nice pictures and nice review. Your writing ability is no less than your photography talent. Your review guided me what camera I can buy for my wife for Christmas. She just wants an easy to use and a decent camera like your sister. She warned me that it will not satisfy my gearhead tendencies but only her convenience, spoiling my shopping satisfaction.

Thanks for the article. I use a Sony RX-100 (1st version) as my travel/always-with-me camera. Picture quality is good, I’m happy with 8X10 prints. I could use an EVF at times and am sometimes frustrated by the focus systems, when AF refuses to lock on and MF seems useless. Macro as you mention is at the short end of the zoom range and you have to get really close to the subject. I think all such cameras have this macro limitation but I would love a pocket-sized camera with a 100 mm macro equivalent.

When using the touchscreen for focus and shutter release, did you have any problems with camera movement? It seems to me that poking the screen would create a problem.

Hi Brian, thank you. No, the touchscreen was very effective, especially when shooting anyone’s face. I found that if I used the shutter button sometimes the focus would be inadvertently behind the subject’s head. But using the touchscreen I could simply touch their face on the screen and they’d be in perfect focus. Poking the screen didn’t cause any movement or blur issues and focus lock with it was very fast. Regards.

Cheers Alpha, just for making my life a little more difficult ! . Just for the record people, that’s a polite remark aimed at Alpha and he knows it’s a tongue in cheek comment. As a pre owner of the EM-5 , I’ve been on the lookout for a replacement travel camera for roughly a year now and still to find something that suits my needs. As low light work is my favourite niche, the camera needs to be good in this department…. anyway I’m waffling now, so thank you Alpha for expanding my search and brain freezing my ideas . Great review my friend and certainly given me something to think about for next year’s trips.

Lol! You’re welcome Parrish. Always happy to complicate your life my friend! :) Being serious, I found that the RAW files on the G5 X had manageable noise up to around ISO 3200. I didn’t get a chance to try some long exposures, which I know you’re particularly good at, but hopefully I’ll borrow the camera from sis and give it a try in London. A larger sensor compact like the Panny LX100 might be better for low light work with its larger sensor. Best of luck mate :)

I know you wanted it for the fixed lens, but i wonder for the normal Enthusiast, if a EM10 II with a few selected lenses would be much better. I think a 24-100 1.8-2.8 is a really good range and Speed which is hard to beat unless u have many Special lenses i guess

Hi Simon. I think if I was buying for a more enthusiast or advanced user I’d consider a small interchangeable lens camera like the EM10, maybe even the Panasonic GM series which is even smaller. But yes, this G5X was for my sis who wanted a fixed lens. :) I wish you luck and success with your choices! :)

Have you considered the S120? It doesn’t have a swivel screen and certainly no hotshoe but it does have an amazing touchscreen (Canon really rocks here think) and a lot of nifty features (ND filter, HDR, etc.). The reason I’m asking is because based on my exp it takes better pictures than the ones in this article and at the link and is a lot cheaper. (Max. resolution is 4000×3000 though.) I’m not sure how that’s possible, tbh… I shoot in manual mode 90% of the time.

The S120 has a smaller sensor so not sure it’s image quality would match the g5x. Its lens is also slower at the long end. The images here have been reduced in size and quality for posting as this was merely a user experience and not a camera test. But I’m sure the S120 is still an excellent camera in its own right.

Alpha Whiskey, thanks for your very informative article, of particular interest to many of us tourists. As an amateur D800e owner(my only camera), when I travel to Colombia my wife to visit her family, my camera with 60mm G lens causes a few problems. I carry my gear camouflaged in an old Stanley FatMax toolbar and yet people, store owners, family, etc. warn me of armed thieves. City buses in Medellin are even subject to armed robberies of iPhones, if the they were to find my gear, it would be considered “una pesca milagrosa”, literally a miraculous catch. One trip I used a smaller Canon 6D with 50mm lens but the carabineros (gendarmes) would not let me tour the ecological park with their armed escort, for fear of provoking an armed robbery. If I cannot take photos, I would rather stay home. A compact camera with a 24-75mm range, as opposed to the 20X P&S cameras, would probably cover more than my D800e/macro combo for my tourist/family photo needs. A hot shoe to accommodate a small external flash is an important feature for me.

You’re welcome Polizonte. I hope you find something that meets your needs. I have had the pleasure of visiting Colombia (Bogota, Cali, Zipaquira and the Andes) and it is a beautiful country with warm and lovely people (and beautiful women!). There were always lots of security everywhere, especially around Bogota, but I must say I never felt unsafe. Perhaps because I was with friends. I enjoyed my trip there very much. Anyway, I wish you well and my regards to Colombia. :) Cheers, Sharif

Last year we took a bus tour from Medellín to Zapiquirá, Tunja, Paipa, Ráquira, etc.and other municipalities of Boyacá. (departamento = state or province ). Less city congestion, thin, clean air, beautiful lakes, farms, and mountains, first time I had seen sheep instead of goats in Colombia…loved it.

Coming very late to the party here, I’m afraid, but I just saw this post and wanted to thank you for your engaging photos and good information about the G5X. I’ve been looking for a smaller “walk-around” camera for some time. I tried the Sony RX-100 M2 and liked it very much, but missed having a viewfinder. I tried the M3 and liked the viewfinder, but missed the greater reach of the M2. Now I’m trying out the G5X and love it’s sturdy feel, its grip (I was always afraid I’d drop the Sony), viewfinder, and fully articulating LCD that closes like the one on my T3i. The jpegs look good, as well. My only problem is that I shoot mostly in RAW, and the version of ACR that supports the G5X is available only on Adobe CC. (I have CS6.) I do most of my editing (as a very amateur photographer) on ACR, so this is a big deal for me. I downloaded DNG 9.4, but it doesn’t seem to see the G5X CR2 files.

If you don’t mind answering a question this late in the game, I wonder if you could tell me how you processed your CR2 files. Do you have Adobe CC or do you know if I might be making some mistake with DNG?

No problem if you don’t want to answer this. I gained a lot from the article as is. Thanks!

It’s never too late and thank you for the kind words! I had exactly the same obstacle as yourself with regards to the RAW files. So I used Adobe DNG Converter to convert the RAW files to DNG files and then I opened the DNG files in Lightroom and ACR and was able to edit them as per usual. When you open Adobe DNG Converter you select the folder containing the Canon files (alas you can’t select the individual files, just the folder), then select the folder where you want to save them (I simply created a new folder called Canon DNGs and selected that as the destination folder). Then go ahead and click on Convert. DNG Converter then goes about converting the files to DNG files (a box appears showing the progress). When all the files appear in your destination folder you can simply delete the ones you don’t want to edit. I think my version is also 9.4. It’s not as slick a way to do it as simply opening the RAW files in ACR but there we are :) Hope this helps you out :) Keep shooting and I hope you continue to enjoy the G5X!

nice review as always.. this camera is perfect for my needs, light and compact, adding a cool EFV, the build quality is nice too, but… there are only a few specific points that make me doubt.. – can i turn of the EFV, if i just want to shoot in LCD only sometimes, like fuji did? (means, a couple menu on EVF with eye sensor, LCD only and shooting with EFV only?) – can i put the UV filter on the lens? just for protecting the lens with the scratching, fingerprint or something bad happens to your lens when shooting? or its lens itself is strong enough to withstand scratches?

Regarding the EVF/LCD option, you can disable the EVF. On the Setup1 menu, select the item called “Display Settings”. Change “Display Control” to “Manual”. Once you have set it to manual, a second line on the menu comes up called “Menu Display”. You can set this item to “screen” or “Viewfinder”. If you set it to screen, the viewfinder is disabled. Also, if you want to use the EVF only then swivelling the LCD screen so that it is closed against the back of the camera enables only the viewfinder. As for the UV filter on the lens, I personally wouldn’t but apparently Lensmate make a filter adapter for the G5X:

Great Review. I just picked up the G5X and also considered the rx100 IV and the new G7X II. I preferred the G5X because of the feel of the camera. It’s sort of a miniature SLR in feel. The other biggie for me is that this is one tough little camera. The RX100 is very tempting and I have had one in the past but that camera is awkward to hold and it feels delicate. The G5X has a foldable screen can be put away with an unexposed glass. That makes it much more likely to survive a beating even if that is in my pocket. Given you bought it for travel I was surpised you did not mention these as pluses. Thanks for the review

Those are very good points Steven and it was remiss of me not to mention them. Thank you for pointing them out and I’m glad you’re enjoying the G5X. I’ll have to steal it away from my sis again soon and take it out for a spin! Cheers! :)

Awesome photos and description! I feel for your sister – I love to just point and shoot but once in a while I’d like to tweak the settings a bit. Do you mind sharing on the battery life and whether it’s necessary to get another spare battery?

Thank you Afifah. The battery life isn’t great and I would definitely get a spare. I don’t recall how many shots I got from a single charge but I ordered a second battery at the same time as ordering the camera. Cheers :)

I do have a question: which one should I choose, Fujifilm X30 or Canon G5x? I am currently a Fuji X-E2 user with some lens, and I am going to buy a pocket camera for my father (and myself as well). Please do advise.

Apologies for the late reply. I have been busy over the seasonal celebration period :)

To answer your question, I think the G5X probably has better absolute image quality (especially in low light) given the larger sensor and higher resolution compared to the Fuji X30. The G5X also has a touchscreen which I think makes it very easy to use, and a wider angle at its shortest focal length. I’m not sure that there is much difference between them in term of size.

Great write Up! Just found your blog. It is exactly what I was searching for. Your style of writing and shooting is much appreciated. Your blog did it for me, this is going to mine asap. There are better specced cameras out there by now, but none are as well suited for the things I want to do. Many thanks Again!

Great write up. Could I ask a question for a complete photography newbie. Have just bought the g5x and am travelling around Canada so surrounded by beautiful scenery. What settings would you suggest for taking a good landscape shot? I need to move away from auto mode to prevent everything on the horizon looking tiny and haven’t a clue.

Thanks for the great review. I appreciate your knowledge and sense of humor. My question is a comparison between the canon G5x and Sony cybershot HX80. At the store I visited, the sales person said the HX80 got better image quality shots than the G5x despite the its smaller sensor size because the Zeiss lens was superior to the Canon softer lens. Do you have an opinion.

I don’t know anything about the Sony but I think the Zeiss lens is probably a good one, and the Canon stretches the corners out with software correction so it is slightly soft in the corners at F/2.8. But the lens is plenty sharp for me, and you can see in the can of beans shot the writing is pretty crisp even at ISO 6400. But I would personally rather have the larger sensor of the Canon, especially for detail at higher ISOs, as well as the touchscreen functionality. Hope this helps! (It’s actually my sister’s camera and she has since taken it around the world and acquired some great shots.) Cheers :)

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